Food Safety at Home

Ten Golden Rules for Safe Food Production by World Health Organization (WHO)

1. Cook raw food thoroughly
2. Eat cooked food immediately
3. Prepare food for only one meal
4. Avoid contact between raw foods and cooked foods
5. Choose foods processed for safety
6. Wash hands repeatedly
7. Keep all food preparation premises meticulously clean
8. Use safe water
9. Be cautions with foods purchased outside
10. Breast-feed infants and young children

Cook raw food thoroughly

• Thorough cooking is essential, so that every part of the food is heated upto 70°C
• Uncooked fruits or vegetables should be peeled and eaten
• Unpasteurized milk should be boiled before use.
• It is to be remembered that cooking may not destroy biotoxins

Eat cooked food immediately

• Longer the wait, greater is the risk
• Eat cooked food as they come off the heat

Prepare food only for one meal

• Prepare freshly for one meal only, as far as possible
• If foods have to be prepared in advance, or if there are leftovers, then
• Store cold (below 5°C)
• Hot (above 60°C)
• Cooked food should be thoroughly reheated before eating

Avoid contact between raw foods and cooked foods

• Slightest contact between raw and cooked food cause cross contamination
• Cutting surface, knife, etc; used to process raw food should be thoroughly washed
• Cross contamination due to dripping from raw food onto cooked food should be carefully avoided

Choose foods processed for safety

• Fruits and vegetables are best in their natural state. However they should be washed thoroughly before eating
• Foods processed hygienically should always be chosen

Wash hands repeatedly

• Hands should be washed thoroughly with soap and water before preparing, serving, eating, after every interruption and at the end
• Special care needs to be taken after going to toilet, touching animals etc.

Keep all food preparation premises meticulously clean

• Kitchen should be kept absolutely clean
• Scraps of food crumbs should be cleaned out
• Food storage areas should be kept clean
• Waste food should be disposed off properly
• Food should be stored in closed containers

Use safe water

• Safe water is important for food preparation as for drinking
• Ice should be made of safe water
• Any reconstitution ( e.g. Powder milk) should be made with safe water
• In the absence of safe water, the available water should be properly boiled before use

Be cautious with foods purchased outside

• Caution has to be taken to choose the right food before bringing it home
• All the cautions as mentioned above should be followed carefully

Breast-feed infants and young children

• For infants, breast milk is the safest and most ideal source of nourishment in their first months
• It protects against infections because of its anti- infective properties and it minimizes exposures to food borne pathogens

General Information to Ensure Food Safety

Source: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India